BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals look to remain unbeaten at home this season when they host Northern Arizona in a non-conference women's basketball game at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Montagne Center.
 
It will be just the second home game of the season for the Cardinals (1-3), who have had road contests at Oregon State, Oregon and Kansas State – all teams that went to national postseason tournaments last year. In their only home game so far this season, the Cardinals posted an impressive 95-49 win over Saint Thomas (Texas).
 
"Playing teams from the power conferences will definitely help us," LU coach Robin Harmony said. "Playing talented teams will only make you better. We are not going to see teams with that size and incredible talent during conference play."
 
The Cardinals have received solid play from senior post player Kiandra Bowers, who leads the team in rebounding at 9.0 boards per game and is second in scoring at 11.0 points per game. Bowers recorded her first double-double of the season, and the eighth of her career in Sunday's loss at Kansas State, finishing with 11 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.
 
"Kiandra has been play with incredible energy," Harmony said. "We need more players to bring that kind of energy to the table."
 
Sophomore guard Moe Kinard leads LU in scoring at 13.3 points per game. Kinard has been LU's leading scorer three times this season. Junior guard DeA'ngela Mathis is averaging 9.5 points per game for the Cardinals.
 
LU sophomore guard Chastadie Barrs, last season's Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year, has picked up right where she left off last season, leading the nation with 19 steals.
 
Northern Arizona (2-2), is 0-2 on its current road trip, falling to Cal Poly by a 58-53 score and to UC Santa Barbra by a 60-51 final. Olivia Lucero and Brittani Lusain are tied for the team lead in scoring for the Lumberjacks, with each averaging 12.8 points per game. Lusain leads the team in rebounding at 7.5 per game.
 
The Lumberjacks have done a good job on the boards this season, outrebounding their opponents by an average of 7.8 rebounds per game. Northern Arizona ranks ninth in the nation in 3-point percentage defense, holding opponents to an 18.4 percent success rate.
 
Northern Arizona leads the overall series with LU 1-0, with the Lumberjacks claiming a 75-63 home victory last season.
 
Following Wednesday's game, the Cardinals will practice on Thanksgiving morning before flying to Buffalo on Friday for a non-conference meeting with Canisius College at noon Saturday.
 
The Northern Arizona and Canisius games will both be streamed online by ESPN3. For tickets for all LU home games, please call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE.